Between The Sheets Cocktail Recipe

Between The Sheets Cocktail Recipe

A Sidecar that calls on both cognac and rum

Cognac has to be one of my favorite spirits, blending both a complex range of fruit flavors from its distilled grapes and the vanilla, caramel and spices from the oak it’s aged in. While there are myriad cocktails that employ this elegant spirit, the Sidecar definitely stands out as one of most appreciated and influential.

The history on the Sidecar is hazy, though many believe it was created during Prohibition in Europe. It’s easy to see how this drink originated from the daisy family of drinks, which also gave us the margarita (that’s the spanish translation of daisy), and is basically comprised of a spirit, plus citrus and a sweetener. The Sidecar might have started as equal parts brandy, cointreau and lemon, but today you’ll find it with a heavier dose of cognac. During Prohibition, bartenders went even farther and split the cognac with rum, dubbing this concoction “Between the Sheets,” which perhaps hinted not so subtly at its effectiveness.

While many of us remember Tim Meadows as “The Ladies Man” with his bottle of Courvoisier cognac, I find cognacs like Pierre Ferrand, Bache, Gabriel & Andreu, and Louis Royer to be the best choices. I decided to use Louis Royer’s “Force 53,” which is an overproof cognac, since I wanted to make sure it would stand out against the rum. While it may sounds somewhat scandalous, the Between the Sheets is a delicious drink, perfect for when you need a little more kick in your Sidecar.